SC issues notices to Kunal Kamra, Rachita Taneja on pleas seeking contempt proceedings against them

The Supreme Court has issued notices to stand up comedian Kunal Kamra and cartoonist Rachita Taneja on pleas seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against them for allegedly denigrating judiciary and judges.

The Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan has asked Kamra and Taneja to file their responses in six weeks. The top court says they don't need to appear in person before the court.

Earlier, Advocate Nishant Katneshwarkar, appearing for the petitioners, said this is a contempt petition for "scandalous tweets" by Kunal Kamra.

"Kamra had tweeted that 'Supreme Court of this country is the supreme joke of this country'... Attorney General KK Venugopal has already given consent for initiation contempt proceedings," Katneshwarkar said.

The bench asked Katneshwarkar not to read the alleged contemptuous tweets, saying it is unnecessary.

Earlier, Venugopal had given his nod to the petitioners for initiating contempt proceedings against the comic artist for allegedly denigrating judiciary and judges.

Kunal Kamra had tweeted criticising the Supreme Court for granting interim bail to Arnab Goswami. Kamra has, however, refused to apologise for his tweets criticising the Supreme Court, commenting in a statement that "silence of the Supreme Court on matters of other's personal liberty cannot go uncriticised."

The consent for contempt proceedings was given after multiple letters of requests were written to Venugopal, including those from Aurangabad-based law student Shrirang Katneshwarkar, advocate Rizwan Siddiquee, Allahabad-based advocate Anuj Singh, and Pune-based lawyers Amey Abhay Sirsikar and Abhishek Sharad Raskar.

(ANI)

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